Sheet metal nut



1946. E. M. MOREHOUSE ,408,573

SHEET METAL NUT Filed Aug. 28, 1945v Patented Oct. 1, 1946 UNITED STATESPATENT OFF-ICE Eu ene M. Morehoiise, 'ruiunga, Califr, assigfior Y 'toAdel Precision Products (3011).; a corporat on v of CaliforniaApplication Aiig ist 28, 1945'. seriaiive. trail-'2 V to improvements insheet metal nuts or thetype shown in my application for pater'itfor Selflockirig nut, Serial 'No. 561,221, filed October 31, 1944, which becameLetters Patent No. 2,393,054 on anuary 15, 1946, wherein the bridgeportions have their ends joined to the body portion of the nut alongiines which are diagonal to the'longitudinal axes of the bridge portionswhereby the threading edges of the bridge portions are caused to biteinto the screw as th bridge portionsare flexed u on tightening thescrew. Y

The present invention has fdl" its plll fiafy dbject the provision of asheet metal nut of the geneial character fie'iit above described whichinbodies the advantages an improvements as followsf 1 An inward thrustof the bridge pbrtiofis against the nut at points ap roximately 90degrees' apart when the Screw is tightened and the bridge portions arethereby fieir'ed' inwardly, whereby a reliable locking of the nut on thescrew is assured. w j

2. The" provision of flexible and resilient bridge portions orcomparativel greater Size and strength having considerable resiliency,with such portions" eons'titutirig the greater part of the sheet metalbody, whereby a strong and highly resilient nut having a more effectivelocking action may be provided with a minimum of metal which may bereadily stamped to form the finished product.

3. The provision of a greater area of resilient portions than heretoforeprovided insheet metal nuts, thereby assuring a maximum holding actionwith a minimum amount of metal.

W'h the foregoing objects 11 view, together with such other objects-andadvantages as} may subsequently appear, the inventionres'idesin theparts and in theeoinbination, construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated byway of example inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a nut embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the nut;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the nut;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the nut taken at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational and part sectional 2 view showing the hiltas em' myed with a Screw to hold two members together;

Fig. 6 is a side View similar to at right angles thereto.

Referring to the drawinginore specifically, l designates a plate-likeiesilie'fit sheet metal nut body portioriwhich as here shown is, forexample, substantially square, and providedwith two substantiauy"tri'ahgular b'ridg portions 8 v and 9 formed integral with thebody'portions at their ends. as indicated 53 the dotted lines ill inFigs. 1 and 5'. These Brid e portions are formedby mean of a diagonalslit Irena twe L-"s'haped or right angular slits l2 and for the most'part are disposedlout of the plane of the body portion 1.. T e diagonaslit u extends from points adjacent diagonally opposite corners. [3 rthe body pertien'wneieae the L-shaped slits I'Zare formed adjacent theother diee'onen opposite corners [4 or the body portion, The legs of theL-shaped slits are of equal length and extend Fi 5 but taken ,but par'tway along the sidesof the body portion in parallel and equi-distantly'spaced relation to the outer margins of said slides. The fehds of thbridge portions 8 and 9, as indicated by the dotted lines eitend fromthe ends of the L-shaped; slits I2 to the diagonal slit H and aresubstantially equal in width to the wid'th of the bridge portions ondiagonal lines extending between thecorners l4.

Formed in the opposed edges of the bridge portions 8 and Qarecomplementary arcuate edge i n I5 d finin a sc ewrr e arm in the eaterof the body portion and which is te ect d-by th l inorder to give theedge portions 1 5 the proper helixangle tothreadedly engage a screw suchas the on Hi; shown in Bugs. 5 and 6 the bridge portions are struck outfrom the plane of the body portion 1 and arranged so as to be oppositelyinclined between their ends. This distortion of the bridge portions ispermitted by reason of the diagonal slit H and the L-shaped slits [2, itbeing noted that the edges of the bridge'portion's defined by the slitsII and 12 are spaced from one another and the body portion 1 whichlatter constitutes a small rectangular frame having relatively narrowside portions after the bridge portions are formed.

-It will now be seen that the greater part of the blank of which the nutis formed is encompassed by the relatively large and long bridgeportions 8 and 9 which are therefore quite flexible and yet dimensionedto have adequate strength also I2 respectively and the manner in whichthe ends of the bridge portions are joined to the body portion, theflexure thrusts take place in.

directions normal to lines of connection of said ends to the bodyportion. Thus the bridge portions are given thrusts radially inwardlytoward the center of the screw-receiving opening s at-- points about 90degrees apart whereby the edgesi5 will be forced inwardly and bite intothe screw.

.This arrangement provides for balanced and cen- 'tered forces whichequalize the stresses on the nutas a whole and assure a reliable'lockingof the "nut on the screw.

Figs. 5 and 6 show how the nut and screw may be. employed to securemembers A and B together. When the screw is tightened the bridgeportions will be bowed inwardly somewhat between their ends but willspring back to normal position upon loosening the screw.

While the nut as here shown is substantially square and the bridgeportions 8 and 9 are triangular with their apices defined by theL-shaped or right angular slits l2 and their bases defined bythe'diagonal slit II, it should be understood as long as thisarrangement of the slits and joint lines of, the ends of the bridgeportions are present,;the shape of the body and the shape of the bridgeportions may be varied without departing from the present invention.However, the present shapes make it possible to provide a most efficientnut in which a maximum holding action is afforded with a minimum ofsheet metal.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,I do "not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth,

and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalentsof the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within thepurviewof the appended claims.

: I claim:

1'. In a sheet metal nut, a sheet metal body portion, and a pair ofopposed bridge portions formed on said body portion with theircorresponding ends joined to said body portion on lines extending atright angles to one another and their adjacent edges extendingdiagonally across the body portion from the points where said rightangular lines meet one another, there being angular slits in the bodyportion defining edges ofsaid bridge portions which are separated fromsaid body portion; the adjacent edges of said bridge portions beingformed with edge portions for engaging the threads of a screw turnedtherebetween.

- -2.- In a sheet metalnut, a rectilinear sheet metal body portionhaving a screw-receiving opening approximately centrally thereof andformed with a slit extending diagonally across the body portion frompoints adjacent certain diagonally opposed'corners of the body portionand intersecting said opening, there also being right angular slitsformed in the body portion adjacent tne other corners thereof wherebythe metal of the body portion between said diagonal slit and said'right'angular slits forms a pair of side-by-sidebridge' portions ofSubstantially tri- ,a'ngular' outline, the edges of the triangularbridgeportions along the bases thereof having complementary notches thereinforming said screw-receiving openingsand arranged to threadedly engage ascrew turned, therebetween.

3. In a sheet metal nut, a rectilinear sheet metal body portion having ascrew-receiving opening approximately centrally thereof and formed witha slit extending diagonally across the body portion from pointsadjacentcertain diagonally opposed corners of the body portion and intersectingsaid opening, there also being right angular. slits formed in the bodyportion adjacent the other corners thereof whereby the metal of thebody. portion between said diagonal slit and said right angularslitsforms a pair of side-byside bridgeportions of substantially triangularoutline, the edges of the triangular bridge portions along the basesthereof having complementary notches thereinforming saidscrew-receivingiopening and arranged'to threadedly engage "ascrew.turnedtherebetween, the ends of said bridge portions being joinedto the body portion along right angular, lines whereby upon tighteningthe screw the bridge portions will flex so .that the edges definedbysaidnotches will .be forced radially inwardly against the screw to lockthe nut'thereon.v

posed edges of thelbridge portions extending diagonally across the bodyportion from the points where said right angular lines meet one another,

there beingnotches in said opposed edges defining a screw-receivingopening. Y i 1 EUGENE M. MOREHOUSE.

